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Friday, December 28, 2012

I believe with all if my heart that its very important to uplift, encourage and edify our children. That of course doesn't mean we shouldn't discipline our children but instead of focusing on our children's naughty behavior, I think its just as important to focus on their good behavior! I caught Andy "being good" earlier, he was getting a bowl of cereal and asked his sister if she wanted one as well! I thanked him and told him "I caught ya being good"... he smiled & walked away but I know he's happy I said something :)

I'm in the process of making us our own container for 2013... But here's one I found on pinterest...

The idea is to write on a paper when you catch your kids being good, put it in your chosen container & let your child know you are pleased with their positive behavior!!

In case any of you don't know as of yet who or what this Church is. These so called "Christians" go to the Funerals of Fallen soldiers and Children. They hold signs that say "God is happy your son is dead"... Or "God hates fags"... so on and so forth. It doesn't matter to me what your beliefs are, this is wrong. Very wrong. This is Christianity and God doesn't stand for hate. I'm not agreeing to sending them dog poo in the mail. But we all know that our Soldiers died for our Freedom. The supreme court has ruled that what this Church does is constitutional, however I believe they take away the rights of Mothers, Fathers, Family and Friends when they protest at funerals, they take away the right to mourn in peace and they spread hate... It's those very soldiers that gave them the right to protest in the first place, that they protest against. I know it's a hard pill to swallow people. I know. But something needs to be done. I'm up for ideas. This Church believes that God is happy that the children of Sandy Hook Elementary school are dead... Because we have Gays in our Country.... I am open to suggestions, but this Church has to be stopped.

This is what these hate filled people do at Soldiers funerals and at Funerals of Children

cult

Noun

A system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object.

A relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister.

I have read that if you come into contact with this group, and they DO travel... to turn your back to them and completely ignore them. They hate that, it enrages them as they want to provoke you and make you angry, that is what their goal is. So... Ignore them.
Whew... That takes a strong person eh? I would just want to ... well...

Thursday, December 27, 2012

I'm sure you have all heard of what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary school when a gunman came in and killed many children, it was a sad and dreadful day and it continues to weigh heavy on the minds of parents across the United States.

Well Sandy Hook Elementary is preparing for their students to return to school after the holidays and they are asking for people to make snowflakes for the kids so that they can return to a "Winter Wonderland". I found this out when I was visiting Erica on her blog "Caught on a Whim"
Thank you Erica for letting us know... You truly Rock! It will be so awesome for the children to see snowflakes hanging in all the rooms and hallways, sent from all over the USA and World!

Hannah and I made some snowflakes today out of cupcake liners and coffee filters!

No, it's not white, but I thought the kids would get a kick out of gingerbread snowflakes!

I like them so much I might hang some next Christmas!

Hannah hard at work...

So simple to make and so cute..

We are mailing off 5 in total..

If you would like to make some snowflakes for the children of Sandy Hook, then the dead line is January 12, 2013.
Their mailing address is: Connecticut PTSA
60 Connolly Parkway
Building 12, Suite 103
Hamden, CT 06514

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

We had a very nice Christmas! The whole family did.
It started out in London when I celebrated with the Cockney, we then had Christmas with my family and my adult children and then of course... Santa came for the little ones. It was BRILLIANT! I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas! Why? Because I got to see every one of my children... God's greatest blessing is when he gives you a child. And though I still wrestle with the empty nest... I'm coming to terms little by little. (At least I tell myself that :)... I love my children!

I did a last minute Christmas Craft.... Made from Recycled Cereal Boxes!
You just take the cereal box apart... cut the ends off, and roll it until you have the size of tree you want. It's a quick craft depending on how you want to decorate it, we just sort of threw ours together but next year I'd like to take my time and make some really pretty ones.

Hannah was there to make sure I did everything correctly! She's always the supervisor in charge!

Finished Trees, they are all from the same size boxes, so it just depends on what size you want as to how you roll it.

Hannah decorating her Tree with strips of paper.

I decorated my tree with Christmas Tinsel.

Mine turned out like a really bad wig!

But Hannah's was adorable!

I feel like I have a huge hangover and I never once touched alcohol over the Holiday season, it's the high of the season and then after everything is over, it's like full exhaustion sets in! So it's a good thing I don't report to work until January 7th! Here is just a quick share of our Holidays...

This tree top has been in my ex-husbands family for roughly 40 years, if not more, it's like a giant disco ball and it casts designs on the wall, the children love it...

Santa has been!!

Hannah's Doll house all put together!

Soccer Ball!

Rocco... Naughty boy keeps running away to see his girlfriends, so we have an appointment to get him fixed.... Poor Rocco!

Saturday, December 22, 2012

You could say that I'm a "Connoisseur" of Body Scrubs, I'm all about exfoliating. I have bought the expensive stuff and I have also bought the stuff that is home made. Both can be expensive. So I decided to make my own. And give it as gifts to the women in my life that I know love a good soak and indulgence now and again!

The first I made is a body scrub, I have used this myself and it's FANTASTIC! I put no scent in mine, but you can put any scent you want.

SUGAR AND OAT BODY SCRUB

1 Cup White Sugar.
1 Cup Raw Steel Oatmeal.
1 Cup Olive Oil.

Mix well. Literally apply to skin and s-c-r-u-b! Rinse well.
This will make your skin as soft as a babies, however keep in mind that because it contains sugar, rinse well... also because it contains olive oil... make sure your tub isn't slippery when you get out of the bath!

I also made...

Lemon Sea Salt Facial Scrub
5 Tbsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Lemon

Mix olive oil and sea salt together. Once the salt is coated by the oil the lemon won't dissolve it. Mix the lemon in (Really as much as you want, as lemon is really good for skin and smell wonderful!), Mix and Mash and Mash and Mix...
Then Scrub away.

If you have oily skin, this one is probably not the best choice for the face, but I have dry skin and it's perfect on mine. Again... careful when rinsing the tub and getting out... Oil is slippery!

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

What is a RAK?
A RAK is a "Random Act of Kindess". Anything you do that makes someone smile or makes their day.

I've decided that one way that I can become a better member of society and a better person in general is to start doing Random Acts of Kindness (On purpose and not just on the haphazardly chance I might get to)... Now there are rules that I have given myself. If a person see's me doing a RAK, well okay, but I am not going to go out of my way to make myself known or visible. I will not brag to others about what I'm doing, but I will teach my children to share in. But no... "Look at me Look at me"... I believe the things done in secret, when no one looking... And we still want to do them... well those are the things that truly count and make us who we are. Karma people.

I'm collecting up things to make these bags.

I mean just think of the possibilities of what can be put in these Zip lock bags! There are often homeless people on the corners of intersections and they are begging for money or holding signs just for a meal or hot coffee. If you fill these with even a small water bottle they are useful in the Summer, I can think of a gazillion things that could go in one of these to benefit a homeless person. I understand these bags could get heavy to carry around, but I don't see why I couldn't keep 2 or 3 in my van when I'm out and about. Especially in the next few days when some people have nothing. I'm sure you know of someone, somewhere that can use one of these.

RAK's done online? Whew, my head is overwhelmed with how many and how many ways. I want to have one day a week on my blog where I share about ways we can do RAKs in our world. Virtual or Real. I used to belong to a scrapbook club a few years ago and we would "RAK" each other... We would randomly mail each other different Scrapbooking items, like ribbon, buttons, stickers... whatever we wanted, and it was always nice getting RAKked! It always put a smile on my face to get one and I loved sending them out as well.

I hope you are all having a great Christmas Season, I've been so busy with work stuff and Christmas that I haven't read blogs and I'm going through withdrawals I love the pictures and the poems and seeing how everyone is! Merry Christmas!

Saturday, December 15, 2012

When covering any foods from any Country, it's not possible to include everything all at once. After all, Americans take their BBQ very seriously, but if you ask a Texan, someone from New Jersey and someone from South Carolina about BBQ, you will get 3 different answers! The foods I include here are the ones that I found to be so very different from American Culture in Texas!

One of my favorite British foods is a delicious Curry.
WAIT... CURRY'S AREN'T BRITISH! You're right. However, they are taking on their very own in England and if you want a good curry, I'd say visit one of the trillion Indian Restaurants in the UK. There are many many Indian and Pakistan people that live in the UK, and luckily they have brought the divine curry with them. I have heard many traveling English tell me that they have to return to England to get a good curry! My favorite is the Korma... made with coconut and chicken. HELLO!

Now I have to add something about the British Sandwich. I don't think I have ever heard it called a "Sandwich" in England. They use the term "Roll" or "Sarnie".... A sandwich that I discovered when I lived in England for 4 years was the egg and cress roll. Delicious!

Another sandwich that the British eat that American's might turn their nose up at... A cucumber sarnie. Don't knock it... they are great! I always put some long slices of carrot on mine as well.

Cucumber Sandwiches are as English as The Queen! (I'm sure she's had a cucumber Sarnie!)

Lets see... Lets move on to the Condiments. I prefer these over the American ones to be honest... Like Mint Sauce on Pork instead of cinnamon apples/sauce we use here, I prefer HP sauce over A1 Steak Sauce, I prefer Salad Cream over Salad Dressing (Just a touch, don't go crazy... but mix it all in the salad evenly... YUM).. We bought this HP Sauce in November, HP joined in supporting "Movember"... Love it!

Vinegar. Some of the British have been known to drink this by the bucketfuls. Okay I kid I kid. But as an American I don't even have this in my pantry, however when I visit the Cockney, we put it on a lot of stuff... especially chips, fish, breakfast....

This one is news to me... I just found it by accident actually while on line. Tomato Ketchup with Vinegar. I'd give it a go! (Those British and their vinegar!)

As I did mention that The Cockney puts vinegar on his breakfast, we should give breakfast a special "go", you see, a full English Breakfast is a beautiful thing, and a bit different... well, a lot different than the American breakfasts, first of all, we have different bacon. American bacon is long and fatty and thin, where as English bacon is kind of like... hmmm meaty and sort of reminds me of Canadian Ham... sort of. But not really. Anyway, British Bacon is divine. It's one of the few reasons I can't be a Vegetarian :)... oh and beans... Americans use baked beans as a BBQ dish when we throw meat on the grill, where as the British have baked beans for breakfast and even put it on toast for lunch! SAY WHAT?!!?!?! Don't knock it until you've tried it. It's delicious!

With every good breakfast, or lunch... or... any time during the day... The British have a cup of tea. I have my tea with 2 sugars and milk, I never even fathomed putting milk in warm tea until I got to England.... and we aren't talking Lipton here people... I love PG Tips, it's my favorite English tea, I had a taste for Earl Grey for awhile, but if you want a good cuppa... It's PG Tips, you can get it here in the States now, it's pricey, so I still bring mine home after a trip from London.

Now here is another interesting fact about the British... they aren't apposed to dipping things into their tea. You know how us "Yanks", grab a glass of milk and dip our cookies in? Well in England you can dip a biscuit in... their biscuits are cookies, (unlike our biscuits which are more of an unsweetened flaky bread roll). The Cockney even dips KitKats into his tea... when he has tea... So what are the best biscuits... oh these of course...Digestives!

Regular or Chocolate. Depends on my mood... But I have to control myself, I can finish a pack in 2 days!

Lets see... What else have I found to be very different from the way we eat in The States? Ah yes... They call 7-up and Sprite type stuff "Lemonade", where as Lemonade in the States is just that... Lemons, Sugar and Water... They also mix Robinsons (and other brands) of concentrated flavored drinks into water to make them into a yummy glass of... something that is sort of like our koolaid, but better... Here are my 2 faves...

And I discovered a new vegetable in England, we might have them in the States, I have no idea, but I have never heard of them, they are called Farrows and they are like these massive huge peas, they are so delicious with fish and chips... Or you can have mushy peas, which is just that... peas all mushed up, but I like Farrows.

Last but not least, I would like to add, that I discovered a white wine in England that I love, I LOVE the taste of it, I have never really been a drinker because I hate the taste of alcohol, but this is sweet and fizzy and so tasty ... And it's a cheaper wine called Lambrini... only 3 pounds a bottle or something like that, but it's really good... The Cockney prefers Black Tower...

In closing, I have to say, the English... Well... They are pretty awesome, if I do say so myself!